On Wednesday, July 3, Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils will look to turn back the clocks when they clash in the second round of Wimbledon. In the first round, Wawrinka earned a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 win over local Charles Broom, while Monfils dispatched Adrian Mannarino in four sets, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Now, the stage is set for a compelling battle, and it’s one in which I believe Wawrinka can hang around—and possibly even win.
Monfils comes into this match having won four of his last five matches, but it’s hard to be overly impressed with the way he has played in them. Overall, Monfils is just 17-15 in 2024, one of his worst starts to a season in the last 10 years. Part of that is that Monfils is making a lower percentage of his first serves, and he’s also become a lot less reliable in the return game. Both of those things feel pretty important when talking about a grass-court event.
